Hayley Ward and Damian Groenewald each claimed two titles on the final day of the SA Nationals Doubles Squash Championships at Country Club Johannesburg. The venue – the only facility in the country with four dedicated doubles courts (1.21m wider than a singles court) capable of hosting an event of this nature – once again provided the stage for a series of high-quality contests that showcased the fast-paced, attacking nature of doubles squash.
The match of the day was the men’s final, which brought the curtain down on the tournament in dramatic fashion. Groenewald and Dewald van Niekerk saved two match points to edge Christo Potgieter and Tristen Worth 2-1, with the decider going to sudden death at 11-10.
Earlier, Ward and her partner Alexa Pienaar held a clear edge in the women’s final. Their precision and control proved too strong for Helena Hudson and Kim McDonald as they powered to an 11-4, 11-4 victory.
The win secured a hat-trick of titles for the Gqeberha professional following successes in 2024 (with Kacey-Leigh Dodd) and 2025 (with Pienaar). It also marked Ward’s fourth women’s doubles crown overall.
Ward and Groenewald then combined to defend their mixed doubles title, producing a spirited fightback in the second game to defeat former champions Potgieter and Cheyna Wood11-6, 11-10.
The men’s final proved a marathon battle as four of South Africa’s leading players probed relentlessly for openings in a match defined by attrition, angles and nerve.
The result hung in the balance deep into the final game when Potgieter and Worth surged ahead at 8-8. A perfectly weighted lob that died at the back of the court, followed by a shot into the tin from their opponents, handed them two match points at 10-8. But Van Niekerk, who won last year’s title with Groenewald’s younger brother, Luhaan, and his partner refused to yield.
They tightened their play, absorbed the pressure and clawed their way back to 10-10. With sudden death in effect, a couple of errors from Potgieter and Worth saw Groenewald and Van Niekerk snatch victory 11-10 in a pulsating finish.
Afterwards, the champions praised both the tournament and the standard of competition.
“In terms of the final, it was great and that sort of match is all about who can control their nerves the most,” said Groenewald. “Especially playing Christo and Tristen, because both of them are so skilful that we just had to grind it out. Very happy in the end to have the big-match temperament when it mattered to get over the line.”
In the women’s final, Ward and Pienaar dictated proceedings from the outset. They raced to a 7-2 lead in the opening game and never allowed their opponents to settle. The second game followed a similar script. Despite Hudson and McDonald’s efforts to create parity, Ward and Pienaar again built a 7-3 advantage and, through accurate and aggressive strokeplay, conceded only one more point as they sealed the title in commanding fashion.
Ward credited their growing partnership for the success.
“It was awesome to play in the doubles again and I think Alexa and I grooved quite well together,” she said. “We played together for the first time last year and again this year we are really happy with how it turned out.”
